Alexandra, a Potential Hemophilia Carrier, Was Permitted to Marry a Future Tsar?

[RealAnastasia]

Yes. I think so.

[sjazama]

Here's something interesting.  In 1913 the Queen of Rumania declined an association between her son Frederick and the Grand Duchess Olga, because of hemophilia in Olga's family.  She was apparently the first royal to do this. 

Below is the a quote from the British Journal of Haematology:

"In the same way that Victoria, with her personal aspirations of a marriage between Alix and the Duke of Clarence, had not considered the possibility of haemophilia, neither did the St Petersburg hierarchy consider a marriage to Nicholas undesirable. Haemophilia was already well recognized in Victoria’s descendants. Her youngest son, Leopold, had already died, as had Frittie her grandson. The inheritance of haemophilia had been known for some time since its description by John Conrad Otto (Otto, 1803).
"However, it was as late as 1913 before the first royal marriage was declined because of the risk of haemophilia, when the Queen of Rumania decided against an association between her son, Crown Prince Ferdinand, and Olga, the eldest daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra. The Queen of Rumania was herself a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and therefore a potential haemophilia carrier!"

British Journal of Haematology 1999, 105, 25–32
Historical Review
THE HISTORY OF HAEMOPHILIA IN THE ROYAL FAMILIES OF EUROPE

[wildone]

That doesn't seem right at all.  It was Carol, not Ferdinand, who was considered for Olga, and hemophilia seemed to play less of a part than that they just didn't get along.

[historyfan]

Here's something interesting.  In 1913 the Queen of Rumania declined an association between her son Frederick and the Grand Duchess Olga, because of hemophilia in Olga's family.  She was apparently the first royal to do this. 

Below is the a quote from the British Journal of Haematology:

"In the same way that Victoria, with her personal aspirations of a marriage between Alix and the Duke of Clarence, had not considered the possibility of haemophilia, neither did the St Petersburg hierarchy consider a marriage to Nicholas undesirable. Haemophilia was already well recognized in Victoria’s descendants. Her youngest son, Leopold, had already died, as had Frittie her grandson. The inheritance of haemophilia had been known for some time since its description by John Conrad Otto (Otto, 1803).
"However, it was as late as 1913 before the first royal marriage was declined because of the risk of haemophilia, when the Queen of Rumania decided against an association between her son, Crown Prince Ferdinand, and Olga, the eldest daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra. The Queen of Rumania was herself a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and therefore a potential haemophilia carrier!"

British Journal of Haematology 1999, 105, 25–32
Historical Review
THE HISTORY OF HAEMOPHILIA IN THE ROYAL FAMILIES OF EUROPE

This isn't right at all.  It was Carol who was considered for marriage with Olga.  Who's Frederick?  And there was at least one serious conversation between Queen Marie and the Empress Alexandra concerning the match.  They both agreed their children were not attracted to one another, and neither set of parents would force the issue.  It says so in Queen Marie's own memoirs.

[RealAnastasia]

Wildone it's right. It was Prince Carol who should have married Olga , not Ferdinand.

However, Sjazama has her part of the true when she quotes that "...Inheritance of haemophilia had been known for some time since its description by John Conrad Otto  Otto,(1803)..."

The fact that Royals doesn't pay any attention to it, it's another bussiness. However, I stick about what I've read about Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, who warned his future husband about her being possibily a carrier. It appears in a lot of books about Spanish Royalty , in books written by Spanish historians, like Carlos Fisas who knew a lot about the last Bourbons.

RealAnastasia.

[historyfan]

However, I stick about what I've read about Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, who warned his future husband about her being possibily a carrier. It appears in a lot of books about Spanish Royalty , in books written by Spanish historians, like Carlos Fisas who knew a lot about the last Bourbons.

RealAnastasia.

Yes, I've read that too, which (going a bit off-topic here) makes it all the more tragic, the way Alfonso treated Ena once it became clear their heir was a hemophiliac.  And then especially when they had another son who was as well.

[RealAnastasia]

Yes...That's sad. But I've read somewhere - I think it was Massie's book again, but I'm not sure, maybe it was a brochure from the Hemophilia Institute from Buenos Aires - that fathers of hemophiliacs children coud behave in two very different ways: or they rejects the little one or they loved them almost overprotectively. Nicholas was the caring kind of father, but it seems that Alfonso was very caring to his two hemophiliacs sons too. However...how a bad husband she was!!!

RealAnastasia.

[Kalafrana]

In general there is a disproportionately high rate of marriage break-up among parents of disabled children. In the case of royalty, a disability in the heir would exacerbate the strain.

Ann

[sjazama]

HistoryFan and WildOne: Thanks for pointing out the errors in the British Journal of Hematology article.  I'm disappointed and don't know if I can believe any of it now.

I'm wondering something though.  We know that Olga and Prince Carol weren't compatable and that's why they didn't marry.  However, it is still possible that the Queen of Romania also expressed her doubts about the match, except her concern was the hemophilia threat.

Therefore I wonder where the British Journal of Hematology gots its information.  Perhaps there is a letter in existence somewhere. 

[historyfan]

I'm wondering something though.  We know that Olga and Prince Carol weren't compatable and that's why they didn't marry.  However, it is still possible that the Queen of Romania also expressed her doubts about the match, except her concern was the hemophilia threat.

Therefore I wonder where the British Journal of Hematology gots its information.  Perhaps there is a letter in existence somewhere. 

You make an excellent point.  I've only read that Queen Marie's misgivings come from her perception of the personality of Olga Nicolaievna.  I believe she found her (Olga) immature, not worldly enough.  Too much under the influence of her mother, whom the Queen was not altogether fond of.

But that's not to say the hemophilia issue wasn't seriously considered.  I believe by 1914 Alexei's condition was public.  Perhaps that would only have been explored more deeply if Carol and Olga had expressed an attraction to one another.

[Terence]

You make an excellent point.  I've only read that Queen Marie's misgivings come from her perception of the personality of Olga Nicolaievna.  I believe she found her (Olga) immature, not worldly enough.  Too much under the influence of her mother, whom the Queen was not altogether fond of.

But that's not to say the hemophilia issue wasn't seriously considered.  I believe by 1914 Alexei's condition was public.  Perhaps that would only have been explored more deeply if Carol and Olga had expressed an attraction to one another.

Can you share where Queen Marie's misgivings were stated?  Sounds very likely from what other sources have said about the daughters. Of course maybe Carol was a tad too wordly for Olga, as his later exploits showed.

As far as Alexei's condition being public wasn't there a report in the NY Times or some paper re: that about 1914?

Regards,
T

[historyfan]

You make an excellent point.  I've only read that Queen Marie's misgivings come from her perception of the personality of Olga Nicolaievna.  I believe she found her (Olga) immature, not worldly enough.  Too much under the influence of her mother, whom the Queen was not altogether fond of.

But that's not to say the hemophilia issue wasn't seriously considered.  I believe by 1914 Alexei's condition was public.  Perhaps that would only have been explored more deeply if Carol and Olga had expressed an attraction to one another.

Can you share where Queen Marie's misgivings were stated?  Sounds very likely from what other sources have said about the daughters. Of course maybe Carol was a tad too wordly for Olga, as his later exploits showed.

As far as Alexei's condition being public wasn't there a report in the NY Times or some paper re: that about 1914?

Regards,
T

I'm sure I read that in Hannah Pakula's "The Last Romantic".  That was a library book so I can't be sure right at this moment, but if it wasn't there, it would've been Julia Gelardi's "Born to Rule".  And I'm almost positive whichever author it was, used Queen Marie's own autobiography as *her* source for this information.

I did read something about an article not too long ago (as in, a few days ago) and I believe it was actually published not long after Spala (sometime during the late fall or early winter of 1912).

[sjazama]

Thanks for that information.  I'm going to try and get a copy of Queen Marie's autobiography; I doubt that it's still available but I'll try.

[historyfan]

I've tried, without success.  I think someone has it on ebay, but I'm not willing to trade my firstborn for it.  : P  I hope you have better luck!

[PAVLOV]

Does anyone know how the gene entered the British Royal family? Do any records exist of previous haemophilia victims prior to Queen Victoria's
children ? Perhaps, as previously mentioned there must have been, but so little was known about it that it was simply referred to as a ' weakness in the blood'. 
I have asked in a previous post if anyone knows if the gene still exists in any of the present day royal families of Europe, but I dont seem to have recieved a straight answer.

Who was the last Royal person to have sufferred from the disease ?